Ergonomics: What Is It Really?

Ergonomics has become a common trend within the workplace with the new surge in health and creating new, healthy lifestyles. That being said, not a lot of people truly understand what ergonomics is or studies.

The Dictionary definition of ergonomics is: the study of people's efficiency in their working environment.

This definition is the most common misconception of what ergonomics is ? not so much what ergonomics studies, but that ergonomics only relates to a person's working environment, e.g. the office. Ergonomics can be applied well beyond the four walls of a works pace or an office, in fact, ergonomics SHOULD be applied beyond an office and work space, "In essence, ergonomics is making sure that you have the correct posture, and that your equipment (such as your desk and chair) helps you in achieving this." Many people in today's society don't stop working once they leave the office for the day or for the weekend, and many people's offices are in their own homes.

Essentially, ergonomics can be and should be implemented in all parts of your daily life. Not only will ergonomics help you maintain a good balance of health, but ergonomics will also improve your work productivity extensively. An ergonomics expert, Professor Andrew Thatcher states that, "smart employers implement ergonomics because it saves them money in the long term and reduces costs associated with unhealthy or unwell workers. It also improves productivity and work performance." Whether your employer is a large company, a small business, or yourself, ergonomics is key to maintaining your health, productivity, and business revenue. By implementing ergonomics into your work space, whether it's at an office or your home, you in turn prevent workplace injury and enhance your productivity which will directly affect your business's revenue (in a great way).

Ergonomics is comprised of three different parts: physical, cognitive, and organizational. The physical aspect of ergonomics focuses on the tasks that the body needs to perform including a person's anatomy and the physiological aspects of the activity. The cognitive aspect of ergonomics refers to the actual mental process it takes to carry out the physical tasks at hand for an employee including the analysis of different stressors and how people make their decisions. The organizational aspect of ergonomics zones in on how the work day progresses ? times that you work, the design of the office, and how often employees perform individual versus team tasks.

Not only does ergonomics focus on people at work, but it also focuses on the design of ergonomic products and how well it interacts with a person's body. The most popular, and effective ergonomic product on the market right now, is a sit-to-stand desk. Sit-to-stand desks are widely popular among ergonomists because they allow you to become a more active worker by switching between sitting and standing, tasks can become even more enhanced by simply switching from sitting to standing, and it enables the employee to sit or stand comfortably for their specific height.

All of these functions of the sit-to-stand desk make it an extremely popular ergonomic tool among both ergonomists, and employers alike. In fact, more offices are implementing sit-to-stand desk stations all around the world. One company, CSO, has an area designed with a few sit-to-stand desks for those employees that are seeking a break from sitting, but still have the option to go sit at their own, personalized desk. Not only are work spaces implementing this, but schools as well. The Gowanda school district has also implemented ergonomic principles for some of their students. Through this, the school district is hoping to see a rise in productivity and attention, and to implement ergonomic principles throughout the entire school district.

Ergonomics is the future and the best part about that is that ergonomic products are NOT a financial issue. Yes, you will be spending more than you normally would on an ergonomic desk or chair, however, that ergonomic desk or chair will outlast a typical office desk or office chair by many, many years. In the long run, you'll be saving money. To make ergonomics even easier though, there are many different resources, such as Beverly Hills Chairs, you can check out that offer ergonomic desks and ergonomic chairs at deeply discounted prices.